Chambers Brother Attacked On Stage

Chambers, a member of the legendary soul group The Chambers Brothers, was appearing at the Hayward Russell City Blues Festival in Hayward, Calif.  Introducing Curtis Mayfield’s “People Get Ready,” Chambers told the audience that if Mayfield was alive today he would have replace the line “there’s a train a comin’” to “there’s a change a comin,’” according to the San Jose Mercury News.

 It appears at least one of the audience members might have disagreed.  A woman identified as 43-year-old Barstow, Calif., resident Dinalynn Andrews Potter allegedly assaulted Chambers, the Mercury News reports, saying she was subdued by people on the stage and then taken by police to the police station where she was arrested on suspicion of battery and released.

“She had a crazed look in her eye,” said a friend of Chambers who ran to the musician’s aid, according to the newspaper.  “I saw the devil there.”

Although police have yet to determine a motive for the attack, members of Chambers’ family are saying Potter’s alleged actions were racially motivated and were caused by Chambers’ mention of Martin, the 17-year-old shot and killed in Florida by George Zimmerman in February 2012.  A jury acquitted Zimmerman of all charges Saturday evening. Members of Chambers’ family are reportedly urging police to file hate crime charges against Potter.

Chambers was taken to the hospital, treated and released.  His son said the singer had a “bruised rib muscle and nerve damage and he is sore all over,” according to the Mercury News.